1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to coaxial cable connectors and bonding blocks used to connect a ground lead of the coaxial cable system to a source of ground.
2. Technical Background
Certain coaxial cable applications, such as cable television (CATV) systems, require that the coaxial cable system be coupled to an electrical ground to safely conduct high voltages, resulting from lightning strikes or the like, to ground, and thereby avoid damage to the coaxial cable system. Bonding blocks are often used to attach coaxial cable connectors to a grounding source such as a copper wire terminated to ground. Current bonding blocks are typically attached to a double-ended female connector. One example of such current bonding blocks is the line of 1 GHz splice and ground block devices commercially available from TVC Communications of Annville, Pa., e.g., splice and ground block device Model No. G2B2. These double-ended female connectors attach to a base structure such as a house or network interface device, and also attach to a grounding wire. Each end of the double-ended female connector is attached to a mating male connector, and the grounding wire is inserted into a hole in the bonding block and secured by a set screw. In addition, the bonding block includes mounting holes for receiving one or more mounting screws used to physically secure the bonding block to a support structure.
Conventional bonding block devices, of the type described above, suffer from several disadvantages. First, they require considerable physical space to accommodate the necessary hardware. They also require considerable manipulation and time to install. Moreover, each interconnection along the coaxial cable path presents a risk of signal degradation, as well as additional coaxial connectors, and conventional bonding blocks require two additional interconnections within the coaxial cable path each time a bonding block is introduced.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bonding block for making a ground connection to a coaxial cable system that is more compact, and requires less mounting space, than conventional bonding blocks that are presently available.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a bonding block which eliminates the need to mount the bonding block to a support structure, thereby saving time and effort by the installer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a bonding block that can be installed easily and quickly.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of the present invention proceeds.